Travellers on illegal site in Waltham St Lawrence to be forced out - Berkshire

From the Royal Borough Observer

TRAVELLERS on an illegal site are set to be forced out on Monday.

The Royal Borough's cabinet prioritisation sub-committee decided at a meeting on Wednesday at the Town Hall, in St Ives Road, Maidenhead, to take direct action to remove the more than 40 occupants of an unauthorised Traveller site at Shurlock Road, Waltham St Lawrence.

Unless a court directs otherwise, council enforcement specialist contractor Shergroup and council officers will clear the site of all Traveller paraphernalia on Monday.

The Royal Borough must give 48 hours notice before action is taken for the occupants to leave the site voluntarily and £300,000 has been set aside for the direct action and associated clean up costs.

Thames Valley Police will also be in attendance to ensure public order is maintained.

Travellers moved on to the site in December 2009 and an enforcement notice to vacate the site issued by the Royal Borough, which was appealed, expired on Monday, February 13 earlier this year.

A 28-day notice period about the council's intention to take direct action was then taken.